I had ancestors in the Frahier-et-Chatebier area by the name of GIROS. I have not seen this name elsewhere, and I cannot find anyone who has ever heard of it. Can someone tell me if this is a French name?

Thank you,
Kay Haworth

Kay, I came across the following which I hope is helpful:

published in the "Liberty Tribune" Clay County, Missouri

September 2, 1870

Castilian C. TRABUE. I was born in Powhatan County, Virginia, the 27th day of March, 1805. My paternal ancestors were Huguenots, and emigrated from France at the time of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. I have no traditions of the Revolution. I emigrated with my father to Kentucky in 1806. I came to Clay County, Missouri in 1858 and have lived here ever since. I have always been a Whig in politics. The registrars disfranchised me, though I am under the law entitled to registration.

John,

Thank you for the response. I don't understand, however, the connection between Joseph GIROS in the subject line and the Castilian C. TRABUE in the body of the text.

I have found that my GIROS people were indeed from what is now Alsace -- it was very close to Frahier where my DeLoye ancestors resided. These people were all Catholic rather than Huguenot. I did have some Huguenot ancestors from near the Belgian border who settled in New York in the 1650s, and it is an interesting history.

Thank you for letting me know there were other GIROS out there in France.

Kay Haworth

Kay, I posted the wrong biography! Sorry. I'll re-do it.

published in the "Liberty Tribune" Clay County, Missouri

September 2, 1870

Joseph GIROS. I was born in Alsace in France on the 11th of November 1802. My father was a soldier in the French army under Napoleon I, and served in the Peninsular War. I came to America in 1852, and settled that year in Clay County, Missouri, and have lived here ever since. I am not as yet naturalized. I have had nothing to do with politics in this country.


(I have no connection with this family; but, if you found this to be of value, please let me know.)

Hi John,

Thanks for the reposting. At present I don't know of a connection between Joseph and my GIROS in Frahier and Plancher Bas, but I'm interested in the name at any rate. It seemed strange for a French name when I first saw it, and I was not certain I was reading it correctly. I'll put your message in my file for further research to see if he links up to my family.

Thank you very much!
Kay Haworth

Kay,

La France de votre Nom de Famille ( http://www.geopatronyme.com/index.htm ) indicates 238 Giros born in France.

The phone book of Infobel for France ( http://www2.eu-info.com/France/ ) has 93 entries for Giros.

Neither Jean Tosti in Origine des noms de familles de Suisse romande ( http://www.jtosti.com/noms/a.htm ) nor Charles Montandon in Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille ( http://www.favoris.ch/patronymes/ ) gives a clue as to the possible origine of the surname.

Karl,

Thank you very much for your response to my query, as well as the links to additional sites. Hopefully, one of these days I will get back to the Frahier area and surrounding environs to do some real research on these people.

Appreciate your help,
Kay

Giros is definitely a French name. It shows up frequently in the parish registers in the area of Belfort, France, from the 1500s. The name is also spelled Girol, Giroz, Gyrol, and even Giraud. In the United States it is sometimes spelled Gerot, and there is a large settlement of the family around the small town of Riverside, Iowa. My branch of the family is posted on Rootsweb.com World Connect Project.

Marlene,

Thanks so much for the information on the surname Gyros. It is one that I rarely encounter except in the parish registers in Haute Saone. I was not aware of the "colony" around Riverside, IA (my home state).

Kay Haworth